The present disclosure relates to a recording medium conveying mechanism and an image forming apparatus having the same, and particularly to a structure for conveying recording paper disposed around an intermediate transfer unit.
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses have various structures and types, one of which is an intermediate transfer type in which a color image is formed. The image forming apparatus of the intermediate transfer type is configured so that toner images of respective colors are transferred to an intermediate transfer belt (primary transfer), after which the corresponding toner images are transferred to recording paper again (secondary transfer), and the image is fixed to the recording paper by thermocompression. In the image forming apparatus, the intermediate transfer belt, a driving roller stretching the intermediate transfer belt, and a tension roller are unified as an intermediate transfer unit, and are adapted to be demounted from an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus along with the unit in the event of maintenance and replacement. Further, in case of another image forming apparatus, a main body lateral face of the side of a secondary transfer roller is opened, and a nip zone between the intermediate transfer belt stretched on the roller and the secondary transfer roller is released, the intermediate transfer unit is adapted to be able to be demounted from the side of the secondary transfer roller.